how often do folks feed wood - apologies if this has been asked many times - could not find on search
Hi Folks,
Been doing this for about a decade on Weber bullet smokers and a pit barrel. Would love to "graduate" to a real wood smoker, but hearing you needed to feed the fire very 20-30 minutes on an offset scared me off. Is this any less of an issue on a KBQ?
Gear includes: Char-Griller's Grand Champ off set stick burner/smoker, SnS Kamado Deluxe, Weber 22, PBC, Victory gasser, Victory 36 griddle, Smoke Hollow electric smoker. ThermoWorks Thermapen Mk4, Smoke, Signals, and RFX4, Meater+, SNS-500, roti fits 22 n gasser, Emeril countertop TO, InkBird Sous Vide, Potane Vac/Sealer. Fire&Ice griddle/cooler ensemble.
3-pkg of Collapsible Prep Tubs
Junior, Original, Xtra Lg. SS D. Norcross
Complete set (Tx PJ!) Wusthof Knives n block.
Dalstrong:
Phantom Series Paring knife
Shogun SeriesX 6" Chef knife
Gladiator Series 12"Cleaver knife
Just got into charcoal Dec ‘21 (PBC)
fav is brisky. Love Turkey on PBC. also Turkey in the glass,(any nice bourbon)
Bud has always been my barley pop.
Been smoking a handful of years, just got serious in the last two or three years. Thanks to AR n @glemn picked up an SnS Kamado for appx 1/3 price of new. I dont think he used it twice. Love AR! keep calm n smoke on! Miss you Bonesy.
I do not have a KBQ. From what I understand, you are on call every 25 - 45 min of the entire cook. I have a medium sized off set n from what I have read. Be patient and have plenty of feed materials.
stevenschwartz then you have your answer. WSM all the way. Personally, I liked my WSM's, but did not love them. I love my KBQ and not intimidated by the unquenchable firebox's need to be fed.
A Traeger pellet grill has the magic, you see,
Brings smoky delight to you and me.
With bacon so thick,
Meatballs don't stick,
It’s BBQ bliss for all to see
A pellet grill is what many people choose,
A child or even a monkey could use.
But when real smoke is wanted,
To present your Que as boasted,
Only an offset will do.
John "JR"
Minnesota/ United States of America
******************************************** Grills/Smokers/Fryers Big Green Egg (Large) X3
Blackstone 36" Outdoor Griddle 4-Burner
Burch Barrel V-1 Karubeque C-60 Kamado Joe Jr. (Black) Lodge L410 Hibachi Pit Barrel Cooker Pit Barrel Cooker 2.0
Pit Barrel PBX
R&V Works FF2-R-ST 4-Gallon Fryer *******************************************. Thermometers
FireBoard (Base Package)
Thermoworks ThermaPen (Red)
Thermoworks MK4 (Orange)
********************************* Accessories Big Green Egg Plate Setter
Benzomatic TS800 High Temp Torch X 2 Bayou Classic 44 qt Stainless Stock Pot
Bayou Classic 35K BTU Burner Eggspander Kit X2 Finex Cat Iron Line FireBoard Drive Lots and Lots of Griswold Cast Iron Grill Grates Joule Water Circulator
KBQ Fire Grate Kick Ash Basket (KAB) X4 Lots of Lodge Cast Iron Husky 6 Drawer BBQ Equipment Cabinet Large Vortex Marlin 1894 .44 Magnum Marquette Castings No. 13 (First Run) Smithey No. 12 Smokeware Chimney Cap X 3 Stargazer No.10, 12 ******************************** Fuel FOGO Priemium Lump Charcoal Kingsford Blue and White B&B Charcoal Apple, Cherry & Oak Log splits for the C-60 ************************************************* Cutlery Buck 119 Special
Cuda 7' Fillet Knife Dexter 12" Brisket Sword Global Shun Wusthof ********** Next Major Purchase Lone Star Grillz 24 X 48 Offset
Depending on how cold it is, you are looking at anywhere from 15-30 mins. Depending also on what temp you are cooking at. But an average of 275f and pleasant temps outside…..15-20 mins. Maybe 45 mins on low heat and normal temps outside.
Best smoke I’ve ever tasted. Hands down. It’s not as easy as other rigs, but it’s a true smoker with incredible flavor. I’d get rid of everything else I have on my patio before I’d get rid of the KBQ.
Thanks folks, guess I'm looking for some magical device that is a wood smoker that is not that much harder than the wsm. Why i keep asking. I like the middle of the road of the wsm between stick burner and set it and forget it pellet grill.
The LoneStarGrillz pellet poopers get as close as one can get to an offset. Enough for me to try out. Might have it by September. I have a vertical that burns da wood but need more "automatic capacity."
Yes. I’ve done pork butt for a few hours in my KBQ and then switched over to my PBC. Keep in mind that a KBQ acts like a convection oven and meat cooks faster. Spareribs are done perfectly in 3 hours. Chicken, less than that. Also whenever I wrap the meat, I go from seasoned wood to kiln dried wood. No use in wasting the good stuff.
If not cooking outdoors, I am cooking on the stovetop with my 14" carbon steel wok, 12" CI skillet, or in the oven with my two Lodge CI pizza pans, or two dutch ovens. I've also got a nifty Lodge carbon steel grill pan that rocks for veggies outdoors.
stevenschwartz I think you found your answer. I started smoking on a cheap bullet smoker then graduated to an offset in the early 1990's, and smoked on that offset exclusively until acquiring a couple of Weber kettles in the 2016-17 timeframe. I found myself smoking more and more on the kettle, with the SNS, than on the offset. Then I won a SNS kamado here in 2021, and have THAT to smoke on. While I enjoyed tending the fire all night long for smoking a big mess of butts or brisket on my offset when I was younger, I like my sleep better now, and had gone to using the offset 1-2 times a year for either the Thanksgiving turkeys (usually 2) or ribs during the summer. I.e. shorter cooks that I could do during the day.
I gave the 41 year old offset to my 33 year old nephew after this past Thanksgiving, as his grandfather (my dad) built it back in 1984 out of stainless steel, and my nephew had been asking me about all my grills and smokers a lot lately, wanting to get a smoker of his own. He's young and can go without sleep better than I can haha!
The way I see it, managing the fire all day (or night) long is a young man's game... I'm too spoiled by being able to run the entire smoke hands off with my SNS kamado, or 8-12 hours hands off without refueling on my kettle. At one point I looked a LOT at pellet smokers, and had decided I wanted a Grilla OG, as I think it will have a better smoke profile than most, but then I won the SNS Kamado, and I've been pleased ever since. I would stick with your WSM's for smoking, and look at other toys for grilling.
stevenschwartz I think you found your answer. I started smoking on a cheap bullet smoker then graduated to an offset in the early 1990's, and smoked on that offset exclusively until acquiring a couple of Weber kettles in the 2016-17 timeframe. I found myself smoking more and more on the kettle, with the SNS, than on the offset. Then I won a SNS kamado here in 2021, and have THAT to smoke on. While I enjoyed tending the fire all night long for smoking a big mess of butts or brisket on my offset when I was younger, I like my sleep better now, and had gone to using the offset 1-2 times a year for either the Thanksgiving turkeys (usually 2) or ribs during the summer. I.e. shorter cooks that I could do during the day.
I gave the 41 year old offset to my 33 year old nephew after this past Thanksgiving, as his grandfather (my dad) built it back in 1984 out of stainless steel, and my nephew had been asking me about all my grills and smokers a lot lately, wanting to get a smoker of his own. He's young and can go without sleep better than I can haha!
The way I see it, managing the fire all day (or night) long is a young man's game... I'm too spoiled by being able to run the entire smoke hands off with my SNS kamado, or 8-12 hours hands off without refueling on my kettle. At one point I looked a LOT at pellet smokers, and had decided I wanted a Grilla OG, as I think it will have a better smoke profile than most, but then I won the SNS Kamado, and I've been pleased ever since. I would stick with your WSM's for smoking, and look at other toys for grilling.
Absolutely - guess it is the always wanting something different, or wanting to be more "realistic." The brisket I got yesterday was almost as good as Kreutz' or anything I've gotten in Texas. It truly amazes me how well the WSMs actually work.
When I am using the KBQ, I set a timer for 25 minutes to remind me to feed the fire. I generally use hickory at 225F. When I wrap the meat, it is often finished in the kitchen oven to lessen the time spent tending the fire.
I started with an offset many years ago and used it until the firebox disintegrated. Next went with a pellet smoker for a few years as I wanted the convenience, but could not achieve the smoke profile I was desiring. Next was the WSM with a BBQ Guru. All produced some good food but nothing compared to the KBQ. The KBQ will be my last smoker. Still have the WSM but added an electric heating element/thermostat to it and it is now my holding oven.
Everyone has to make their choices based on their needs and desires at that point in their BBQ life. No one can make that decision for you. As needs, desires, and skills change there is no reason not to change equipment to better suit your situation.
Yes on the 22". Removed the aluminum access door and cut a square hole in the cover to mount the heating element (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HDMDA2I...d_asin_title_1). Placed fire bricks on the charcoal grate to support the legs on the heating element. Put water in the original water pan. Through an old blanket over it in the winter to hold the heat. Will hold 150F +/- 5F.
cooperhud Can you share some pics of the set up? Just add it as a new response to the main thread at the bottom and notify me (@TripleB). I'm not the most mechanically inclined guy and pics help immensely.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRaTZ2K0l6E is similar to what I did with the exception of cutting the hole in the aluminum door vs putting the hole in the lower section. If i ever desired to undo the mod, I just need to patch or replace the aluminum door.
Comment